Flattened Phoenix: Wofford back sets mark in romp past Elon

Published: Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 12:50 AM.

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And it seemed as if Breitenstein might finish with 309 yards and thus fall just shy of the league’s 313-yard milestone set five years ago by former Appalachian State star quarterback Armanti Edwards.

But after sitting out a fourth-quarter series, Wofford coach Mike Ayers reinserted Breitenstein with 2:51 remaining. He gained 3 yards and then 9 yards and, record attained, exited to the Terriers sideline.

“Coach Ayers came up and said, ‘You’re 4 yards away from a SoCon single-game record. What do you want to do? Do you want to go in or do you think you’re done?’ ” Breitenstein said. “I was like, ‘Well, I’d like to have it.’ So he said, ‘All right. You’re back in for the next series. Whatever you need to get it.’ Then he said, ‘Just don’t get hurt.’ ”

Meanwhile, Wofford (4-0, 2-0), rested from its open date on the schedule, looked crisp in cranking out machine-like efficiency with its tricky triple-option offense, which entered as the top-rated rushing attack in the FCS.

“When they’re dialed in, it’s tough to stop,” Thompson said. “We weren’t as physical as we should have been, and they just had us.

“The triple option, if somebody’s not in the right place at the right time, there’s going to be a big play. If you’re not playing your man or you’re one step too slow, they’ll break you off.”

The Terriers, ranked No. 6 in the Football Championship Subdivision, broke off big touchdown runs on their first two offensive plays of the game and proceeded to pound out 500 yards on the ground, an Elon all-time worst for rushing yards allowed.

Breitenstein burst into wide-open space on his first touch. Swiveling his head left and right as if he couldn’t believe the room available, it grew to be a 90-yard scoring rumble that vaulted Wofford ahead 14-3 with less than five minutes elapsed.

By the end, 26 carries later, the burly 225-pound fullback had become the third player in Southern Conference history to author a 300-yard rushing performance.

And it seemed as if Breitenstein might finish with 309 yards and thus fall just shy of the league’s 313-yard milestone set five years ago by former Appalachian State star quarterback Armanti Edwards.

But after sitting out a fourth-quarter series, Wofford coach Mike Ayers reinserted Breitenstein with 2:51 remaining. He gained 3 yards and then 9 yards and, record attained, exited to the Terriers sideline.

“Coach Ayers came up and said, ‘You’re 4 yards away from a SoCon single-game record. What do you want to do? Do you want to go in or do you think you’re done?’ ” Breitenstein said. “I was like, ‘Well, I’d like to have it.’ So he said, ‘All right. You’re back in for the next series. Whatever you need to get it.’ Then he said, ‘Just don’t get hurt.’ ”

Meanwhile, Wofford (4-0, 2-0), rested from its open date on the schedule, looked crisp in cranking out machine-like efficiency with its tricky triple-option offense, which entered as the top-rated rushing attack in the FCS.

“When they’re dialed in, it’s tough to stop,” Thompson said. “We weren’t as physical as we should have been, and they just had us.

“The triple option, if somebody’s not in the right place at the right time, there’s going to be a big play. If you’re not playing your man or you’re one step too slow, they’ll break you off.”

Turnovers backed Elon into a tough position, too.

On the fourth play of the game, penetrating Wofford linebacker Alvin Scioneaux stuck Elon’s Karl Bostick, who fumbled. The Terriers recovered and immediately cashed in with Donovan Johnson’s 32-yard touchdown scamper on their ensuing snap.

Elon receiver Aaron Mellette generated significant production (13 catches, 177 yards, two scores), but he lost a second-quarter fumble on a crunching hit.

Wofford quickly converted that into a 21-3 lead on Brian Kass’ 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Harpe.

“We can’t give them the ball back like that,” Mellette said. “You don’t want to turn the ball over at all. And you really don’t want to turn the ball over on your side of the 50(-yard line), give them an even shorter field.”

Wofford fooled Elon and went up 28-10 when Breitenstein, untouched, took a misdirection pitchout 19 yards and reached the end zone with 37.2 seconds left in the first half.

That had to be deflating moment for the Phoenix, which had scored 1:32 earlier on 7-yard pass to Mellette to cap smoothly executed drive by quarterback Thomas Wilson.

“I thought we played good enough on offense and special teams to give us a chance to get the game to the fourth quarter,” Swepson said. “Obviously, the defense struggled all day long.”

Mellette’s second touchdown catch was an improbable one. Wilson’s pass pinballed off the hands of Elon receiver Jeremy Peterson and a Wofford defensive back, the ball wobbling more with each deflection, before Mellette grabbed it for a 15-yard score.

Less than four minutes later, Adam Shreiner’s 43-yard field goal trimmed Elon’s deficit to 35-21 late in the third quarter.

Touchdown runs of 2 and 39 yards from Kass, the Wofford quarterback, erased any remaining doubt.

“We gave up, obviously, way too many big plays,” Benton said. “I think we were just thinking too much. That kind of cut the edge off of our physical play.

“We were prepared for whatever they threw at us. They didn’t run anything different that we didn’t practice all week. We were just overanxious and we just got beat.”

-- EXTRA POINTS ...:Breitenstein has shredded Elon for 538 rushing yards and six touchdowns in these teams’ last two meetings. He rumbled for 217 yards and four touchdowns last year against the Phoenix. ... Even in minting the Southern Conference single-game record, Breitenstein ended up just short of Wofford’s school record. Former quarterback Shawn Graves set that mark with 323 rushing yards against Lenoir-Rhyne in 1990, when the Terriers were in Division II. ... Early in the second quarter, Thompson pounced on a fumble and Benton intercepted a pass in the end zone as Elon’s defense delivered stops on back-to-back Wofford drives inside the Phoenix’s 10-yard line. ... Elon’s Wilson finished 31 of 47 passing for 322 yards. ... Shreiner booted three field goals, increasing the Elon kicker’s streak to eight straight without a miss. ... Elon plays at Appalachian State next weekend.